Phonograph record jacket



Oct. 30, 1962 J, M SMILER 3,061,086

PHONOGRAPH RECORD JACKET Filed Deo. 28, 1961 INVENTOR ,J wozu@ ATTORNEYS United States Patent Oice hhh Patented Oct. 30, 1962 Fiied Dec. 28, 1961, Ser. No. 162,759 1 Claim. (Cl. 20G-62) This invention relates to phonograph record jackets.

As an aid in understanding the present invention, attention is iirst directed to prior art record jackets.

The common type of record jacket in widespread use heretofore is made as follows. A rectangular sheet of chip board is cut to a width approximating the finished record jacket and a length about twice the width. A narrow strip, for instance about 1A" in width, along one of the long edges is doubled back by a scoring and folding operation. The sheet is scored transversely and midway of the length thereof, and folded along the score to form a square double thickness of chip board fastened together along one edge.

The turned-over narrow strip is thus folded back on itself to form the spine of the record jacket along the edge which is generally referred to as the back edge of the jacket. Glue is applied to both sides of the narrow strip down its entire length and the spine is then pressed while the glue sets. The jacket now consists of two thicknesses of chip board fastened together along the folded side and glued together along the back edge.

A short length of cellophane tape bearing a pressure sensitive adhesive is wrapped over the edges at one point in about the middle of the side opposite the folded side. There is thus formed a jacket which, by one means or another, is closed on three sides and has an access opening on the fourth. This jacket is covered with a thin sheet of paper, or the like, on which is printed any desired record identification information, advertising, decoration, etc., which sheet is glued to all surfaces of the jacket except for the side having the access opening.

The above described prior art record jacket has a number of disadvantages. in the first place, only the back edge is well reinforced. Rough handling or repeated spreading of the access opening to facilitate the insertion and removal of a record has a tendency to split the sides of the jacket. One such side has only the decorative paper covering and a single piece of cellophane tape to protect against separation of the front and back chip board members of the jacket, and the opposite side has only the paper covering and a single thickness of board which has been weakened by scoring.

In addition to the strength limitations, the prior art record jackets suffer from even more signiiicant disadvantages. The front and back sheets are tight together in the relaxed position and this results in substantial frictional interference with insertion and removal of a record While the resultant binding along the sides is objectionable and quite a nuisance -to the record users, of even more importance is the disadvantage this binding causes to the record manufacturer. Phonograph records are generally in a paper envelope when they are slid into the record jacket. The tight iit of the jacket, which is more pronounced when the jacket is new, makes it diiiicult to slide the record and envelope into the jacket, and this lead-s to a substantial use of an assemblers time. The record and envelope have to be wiggled and jostled from side to side in order to free the envelope from which ever point happens to be binding the most at the moment.

A significant number of the paper envelopes are torn or wrinkled during assembly and have to be discarded. Furthermore, after the records have been assembled and shipped by the manufacturer to the retailer, handling by the retailer and by his customers results in the mutilation of additional envelopes which must be replaced in order to preserve saleability of the record.

Even beyond the above strength and assembly limitations of the prior art record jackets, there are yet other pronounced disadvantages.

Phonograph records are thinner toward the periphery where the record grooves are than in the center where there are no grooves and Where a paper label is aflixed to each side of the record. The cross sectional shape of the record, coupled with the fact that the prior art type of jacket has sides which are normally tight together before record insertion, leads to a bulging or thickening of the central area of a record in its jacket. ln other words, the record in its jacket is thicker toward the middle and thinner toward the edges.

While the central thickening is of no significance in the handling of a single jacketed record, it is of pronounced significance in connection with the handling of jacketed records by the hundreds or the thousands.

It is often desirable in the manufacturers plant, or in the retailers establishment, to stack jacketed records, one on top of another, to form a pile of perhaps 50, or 100, or even more. The slight thickening in the central region causes such a pile to be unstable and exhibit a pronounced tendency to topple toward one side or another.

A tendency toward warpage is another disadvantage of prior types of jackets, the -tendency being particularly pronounced when the jackets are exposed to wide thermal changes. If a records jacket warps, the record usually warps with it. If a perfectly liat record is inserted into a warped jacket, the record will assume the warp of the jacket within a couple of days.

The main factor in jacket warpage arises from the character of the decorative paper covering placed on the front `face of the jacket, as compared With that placed on the back face of the jacket. The record manufacturer usually desires to dress up the front face of the jacket by the use of a decorative paper covering which has a more or less elaborate design or picture printed in several colors and which is overlayed with varnish to give the decorative covering a high luster. Since-multicolor printing and varnishing are relatively costly, manufacturers usually avoid such process in the preparation of the paper covering for the back face of the jacket, and instead, use only printing in a single color and no varnish. Because of the substantially different treatments eifected to the front face covering, as compared with the back .face covering, the stresses applied to the chip board on the front face covering during glue setting, thermal changes, changes in the moisture content of the ambient atmosphere, etc., are different than those applied to the chip board on the back face covering. It is the unevenness of the stresses applied to the chip board which gives rise to the tendency of the jackets of the prior art to warp.

The record jacket of the present invention solves the above discussed problems of prior jackets.

The invention provides a record jacket having its front and back face members positively held in spaced relation throughout the periphery thereof except for the access opening. The spacing is such as to substantially reduce the frictional interference between a reco-rd and the jacket during insertion and removal, and it rnake possible the piling of one jacketed record on top of another to form a stack of substantial height without danger of the stack toppling. In addition, as will -be clear from the description below, the invention provides for a special reinforcing of the sides of the jacket so as to guard against warping and to substantially increase the strength of the sides.

The primary object of the invention is the provision of a phonograph record jacket of unusual strength and warp resistance which is constructed so that a record in a paper envelope can with ease be inserted and removed, and which is capable of being piled, one on top of another, in a relatively stable stack.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be clear from the following description taken with the accompanyingdrawings in which l FIGURE 1 is an isometric view of a record jacket according to the invention with a record in its paper envelope inside the jacket;

FIGURE 2 is a broken out vertical section, on an enlarged scale, taken on line 2 2 of FIGURE l;

FIGURE 3 is a broken out plan section, on the scale of FIGURE 2, taken onl the line 3 3 of FIGURE l;

FIGURE 4 is a fragmentary section of the upper left hand corner portion of the jacket of FIGURE l, the view being taken along line 4 4 of FIGURE 3;

Y FIGURE 5 is a fragmentary .flattened out View of the portion of the jacket shown in FIGURE 4;

FIGURE 6 is a fragmentary section of the portion of the jacket shown in FIGURE 5, this view showing some of the parts folded into assembled position and indicating in dash lines the positions assumed vby the other parts when 'folded into assembled position; and

FIGURE 7 is a diagrammatic edge view, on a reduced scale, showing the manner in which a record lies within the jacket of the invention and indicating the stable stacking lfeature of the invention.

Turning to the drawings in more detail, it is iirst pointed out that, since the various parts of a phonograph record jacket are composed 4ofrquite thin sheet materials, thicknesses Ihave beenexaggerat'ed substantially in the Vdrawings for the sake of clarity.

YThejacket 10 includes a front member 11 and a back member 12 which are of a size and sha-pe to accommodate the record 13 therebetween.

The record 13 is encased in a paper envelope 14, which is usually rectangular, and is slid edgewise into the jacket 10 through the access opening 15.

rIlhe sides 16 and 17 of the jacket are closed, as is the bottom or back 18. As seen in FIGURE 2, a decorative paper covering 19 overlays the front faces of the jacket and is folded over the edges, except for the access opening '15, and the free edges of the paper covering are folded over against the back of the jacket. The Iback is covered by paper covering 19a which overlaps covering 19, as at 19e.

Considering the top portion of the jacket of FIGURE 2, each of the front `and back members has a ange bent over so as to extend toward the other member. Thus, member 11 has a ange 20 yand member 12 has a flange 21, said ilanges being formed by scoring, as indicated at 22 Iand 23 respectively, and bending along the score.

One of the front and back 'members is slightly smaller than the other member. In the embodiment illustrated, the smaller one is the member 12, and thus the flange 21 tits neatly within the flange 20 with the faces of the flanges in surface contact.

The flange 21 is o-f a Width substantially equal to the maximum thickness of a phonograph record, that is, the flange 21 projects from member 12 toward member `11 a distance substantially equal to the `maximum record thickness. The free end 24 of ange 21 abuts the surface of member 11 so that the frange 21 serfves as Va `means for accurately spacing the members 11 and 12.

The free edge 2S of the iange 20 extends -far enough "to cover the member 12 and its flange 21 to maximize the reinforcement provided and insure a clean and squared off edge lfor the record jacket.

The bottom portion of the jacket of FIGURE 2 includes flanges 26 on member 11 and 27 on member 12 which are, in all respects, similar to flanges and 21.

The anges 20 and 21 are glued to each other and the flanges 26 and 27 are similarly glued to each` other.

There results trimly squared opposite edges of the record jacket, -with each edge provided wit-h a double thickness of cardboard for extra strength.

Since -the anges 20, 21 land 26, 27 are formed by scoring and bending the chip board, the grain of the chip board in the flanges YWill be at to the grain in the face sheets 11 and I12. Such orientation of the grain is of considerable importance in minimizing warpage. When the flanges are rmly glued together, the edges of the jacket are quite strong and stiff and, as mentioned, include grain oriented in a plane substantially at 90 t0 the planes of the face sheets of the jacket. Such an edge is quite effective in countering or withstanding the stresses set up as a result of moisture or thermal changes. in the paper cove-rings of the front and back of the jacket.

Furthermore, it is clear that the double reinforced edges of the invention have a markedly increased strength, as compared with prior types of jackets, to withstand banging, jarring, etc. and prevent a record in the jacket from cutting through the sides.

As best seen in FIGURES 2 and 4 apertures 28 can be provided through vthe spine of the jacket adjacent the overlapped side wall. Such apertures facilitate the insertion of a holding tool during gluing and pressing of the edge flanges.

Attention is now called to an advantageous type of spine especially well suited for use in the jacket of the invention. Such spine 29' consists of a double reverse fold of the chip board accomplished along three score lines 30, 31, and 32, see FIGURE 5. Glue, as indicated at `33 in FIGURE 3 is applied between the overlapping portions of the double reverse fold so that the spine becomes quite stiff and strong.

As seen in FIGURE 5, the illustrated embodiment of the invention can be made by scoring the chip board as indicated at 34 and 35, in addition to the scores 31 and 32 already mentioned. The score 35 is not quite in line with the score 34 so that, when the flanges 20 and 21 are folded, the ange 21 will t snugly inside of the flange 20. The central portion 36 is cut away so as to form the aptrture 28 after the assembly operation is completed.

As seen in FIGURE 6, the spine has been folded and formed but the flanges 20 and 21 have not as yet been folded and joined together. As shown in dash lines, flange 21 is adapted to fold to a position substantially at rightv angles to the sheet 12 and will then lie just inside of flange 20, when it is `folded into the position shown in dash lines.

FIGURE 7 is a view of an Iedge of a jacket of the invention illustrating how a 4record 13 lies within the jacket. It will be observed in FIGURE 7 that the central portion of the record 13 is thicker and lies in surface contact with the front and back members of the jacket. Toward the edges the record 13 is somewhat thinner and there is a corresponding space within the jacket between the record and the surface of the adjacent face member.

Since the sides provide for positive spacing of the face members at a distance substantially equal to the maxi mum or central thickness of the record, additional jacketed records, indicated in dot and dash lines at 37 and 38 can readily be stacked on top of the bottom jacketed record without thereby developing any tendency for the stack of records .to topple to one side or another.

Record jackets are customarily made from ordinary chip board of a thickness of .024 inch, which is commonly referred to as 24 point chip board. For special applications the chip board may be of somewhat greater or flesser thickness. In any case, the flanges formed along the sides of the jacket of the invention are made so that the front and back members of the jacket are positively spaced a distance substantially equal to the maximum thickness of the record.

Since the usual phonograph record is .070 inch thick,

the 24 -point board, when formed into a double reverse folded spine of the kind illustrated, results in a spine which holds the front and back members apart a distance somewhat less than -that maintained by the side flanges of the invention. However, ease of insertion and removal of a record in its envelope are insured, even though the spine is so constructed, because of the fact that any binding tendency during insertion and removal takes place with respect to the sides of the jacket rather than with respect to the back edge of the jacket. However, if it is desired to maintain the spacing of the front and back jacket members at a distance substantially equal to the thickness of the record throughout three sides of the jacket, this can be accomplished either by utilizing chip board of somewhat greater thickness or by substituting for the spine illustrated a spine composed of a single thicker strip of chip board, or by incorporating in the spine illustrated a supplementary separate strip of chip board.

From the foregoing, it can be seen that the jacket of the invention overcomes all of the above discussed disadvantages of prior types of jacket.

The jacket of the invention avoids pinching or binding .the edges of the record along the sides of the jacket and thereby insures ease of record insertion and removal. This results in a substantial saving of labor costs and also avoids ripping or creasing of the paper record envelopes.

Jackets made according to the invention have opposite sides of a thickness which is uniform and substantially the same as the thickness of the jacketed record near the central area and this makes possible the successful stacking of numerous jacketed records in a firm and stable stack.

The double reinforcement along the sides of the jacket of the invention guards against record damage by minimizing the chance that the record can cut through the side Walls. The extra strength of the sides `also substantially eliminates the problem of warping of the record jacket.

I claim:

The combination of a phonograph record and a jacket therefor, said record being of diameter D and maximum thickness T, said jacket comprising a front member and a back member each of which is substantially square and has a minimum side dimension at least as great as and substantially equal to D, said front and back members being both formed from a single sheet of chipboard-like material, said single sheet of chipboard-like material being substantially rectangular and including transverse scoring centrally of the length thereof, said sheet being folded along said scoring to bring the front and back member portions thereof into face-to-face relation, said folding of the sheet providing a spine along one edge of the jacket, said spine being in the form of a double reverse fold of the chipboard-like material with the overlapping portions of said ldouble reverse fold bonded permanently together, said front land back members being permanently joined together in positive spaced relation to each other substantially along the entire length of the opposite edges on each side of said spine, the space between the inner faces of said front and back members along the edge thereof remote from said `spine comprising an `access opening for the edgewise insertion and removal of the record into and from said jacket, each member including a llange substantially perpendicular to the member and extending toward the other member which flange extends substantially throughout the length of said two positively spaced opposite edges, said ilanges being formed by scoring and bending the edge portions of the sheet, one of Said members being of greater dimension between said two opposite edges than the other of said members so that, when the members are assembled together, the ilanges on one member lie outside of and in surface contact with the outer surface of the flanges on the other member, the inboard anges being of Width not less than and substantially equal to T and the free edge of each `of said inboard flanges abutting the inner face surface of the other member to maintain the ymembers yspaced apart a distance at least as great as and substantially equal to T, the inner ilanges and outer tlanges being permanently bonded together to provide permanent double thickness edge walls for the record jacket which edge Walls include bonding perpendicular to the planes of the front and back members, whereby to substantially eliminate any tendency for the jacket to warp.

References Cited in the ille of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 660,141 Bartelmez Oct. 23, 1900 1,714,138 Scharling May 21, 1929 2,460,909 Shaffer Feb. 8, 1949 2,871,600 Woodruff Feb. 3, 1959 2,931,557 Loderhose Apr. 5, 1960 3,005,544 Chaplin Oct. 24, 1961 3,028,949 Sohosky Apr. 10, 1962 FOREIGN PATENTS 21,009 Great Britain 1907 352,168 Great Britain July 9, 1931 621,192 Great Britain Apr. 5, 1949 731,707 Great Britain June 15, 1955 

